Pages

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I've always wanted a chalkboard in my room. I'm certain my future kids will have a chalkboard wall, but I didn't really want to paint any of my walls with chalkboard paint so I opted for a nicely framed magnetic chalkboard!!

I LOVE it!!!!:) And I'll be making some accessories to go with it, so stay tuned for all that jazz. I have to be honest and say this one is not for the faint of crafters lol...but I'm sure there are easier ways to do some of what I did.Materials:

Frame & backing (from Goodwill)

Sheet metal (from Lowes)

Tin snips (from Lowes)

Permanent marker

Staple gun (from Michaels)

Spray paint (in color of choice for frame) (from Lowes)

Black spray paint primer (from Lowes)

Chalkboard paint (from Lowes)

Instructions:
*Sorry in advance for the lack of photos, I accidentally deleted some. I also wanted to note that they do sell magnetic paint if you wanted to skip the sheet metal part, but that stuff seemed messy, smelly and I read too many reviews that said it didn't hold heavier magnets well.*

1. About the frame. I purchase all frames used for crafting from Goodwill. They're VERY cheap and have a bunch of different sizes. The first step is to disassemble the frame and art. You can save the art if you like it I guess...but I just wanted to the frame. There will likely be staples in the back holding the art in, which I just went in and plucked out with a flathead screwdriver. Remove everything from inside the frame (glass, matting, artwork, backing and whatever else may be there). Keep the backing of the painting. It will be used later. You can avoid this staple business by buying a new picture frame from a craft store.

2. Spray paint the frame in your color of choice. I went with gold since I plan on redoing my bedroom with gold being one of my accent colors. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the spray paint for drying times.

3. Now we can work on the sheet metal. This was my least favorite part lol. If there's a place to go and get sheet metal cut for you...I don't know that place. So, I did it myself with a pair of tin snips. I started by placing the backing that came with the frame onto the sheet metal and traced around it (since the backing is the exact size my chalkboard needs to be to fit in the frame). Then, I cut it out using the tin snips.

4. After cutting out the sheet metal, wipe it down with a rag to remove any lint prior to priming and spray painting. Now, use the the black primer to coat the sheet metal on one side and follow the manufacturer's instructions. After the primer has dried and you've sprayed the appropriate amount of coats, spray on the chalkboard paint.

5. Once your frame and chalkboard paint-covered sheet metal have dried, you can assemble the two along with the backing the came with the frame. Place the frame face down and insert the sheet metal (chalkboard side down) into the frame. Then, place the backing that was originally inside the frame back on top of the sheet metal.

6. If your frame came with artwork stapled in, you're going to have to staple everything back in using a staple gun. You want the staple to go through the backing and into the wood. Be sure to press down as you staple so it's together nice and tight. I probably put about 4 or 5 staples on each side, but staple until you have a tight fit all around. And you're done with the hard part now.

7. You will have to prep your chalkboard for use by rubbing a piece of chalk over the board. These instructions can be found on the chalkboard spray paint can.